Eli Manning remained a rookie waiting for a mentor Monday. And it may be some time before the New York Giants find that special person to lead the first-round quarterback through his transition to the pro game. The Giants' first choice, 13-year veteran Neil O'Donnell, called general manager Ernie Accorsi and told him, "Thanks, but no thanks," to Accorsi's feeler about coming out of retirement.

Immediate postdraft NFL minicamps are just that. They're a quick, formal-but-really-informal glance at the new blood, and they also sometimes cast a keen eye on the physical condition of veterans who may or may not be included in the these get-acquainted or get-reacquainted affairs.

Rickey Henderson is back in baseball. The 45-year-old outfielder re-signed Sunday with the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League, where he played last season before returning to the majors. The likely Hall of Famer excelled during 56 games with Newark last year, then joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in July.

Pedro Martinez, who plans to test the free-agent market this fall, had his shortest outing of the season four innings as the Rangers beat the Red Sox 8-5 to sweep a doubleheader. In Saturday's first game, Texas broke a streak of 32 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings by Boston's bullpen for a 4-3 win.

Star wide receiver Anquan Boldin and quarterback Josh McCown were among the first to offer guidance to Larry Fitzgerald in his initial workout with the Arizona Cardinals on Friday. That's understandable, because Fitzgerald's presence in the lineup should greatly benefit both of them.

The Boston Celtics named former NBA guard Doc Rivers as their new head coach on Thursday. "Danny Ainge called me and asked me to coach the Boston Celtics," said Rivers. "If you like basketball I don't know how you could say no to that."

Quarterback Kerry Collins was released by the New York Giants on Wednesday, less than a week after the team made a draft-day deal to Eli Manning, the top pick overall. Collins guaranteed his own release earlier this week by refusing to renegotiate his contact

If Porter Reed had been born a decade later, his reflections about America's pastime would undoubtedly be different. Instead of sitting on his front porch reminiscing with friends and neighbors about his playing days in the old Negro Baseball League, his thoughts might be of experiences playing in the major leagues.

If the Detroit Red Wings thought Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center was loud, wait until they get an earful of the Saddledome crowd in Calgary. The Flames are at their best when they're playing at a high tempo and forechecking aggressively to help create turnovers. The fans undoubtedly will fuel that fire.